Live Science Verdict
Meta Quest 2 is a full VR ecosystem in a box for $ 399/£399 , making it an attractive proposal for VR newcomers while still offering desirable features for experienced users .
Still gimcrack than competition
All - in - one with controllers let in
Beat Saber.(Image credit: Beat Games)
across-the-board app ecosystem
Apps can be expensive
Not the bargain it once was
Why you may swear bouncy ScienceOur expert referee drop hour testing and comparing products and service so you may choose the full ones for you . bump out more about how we test .
Oculus fundamentally kickstarted a consumer - level push button for VR , causing Meta to click the company up a few years back . The Meta Quest 2 remains the most democratic headset available right now , but is it worth bribe in 2023 ? After all , aside from a name change and a price bump , it ’s not really changed since it debuted in 2020 .
We ’ve decided to revisit our Meta Quest 2 review to aid answer that question , and thankfully the result is still a resounding “ yes ” . That ’s thanks to a price breaker point and series of features that make the Meta Quest 2 easy one of thebest VR headsetsavailable today .
A liberal part of the forte of the Meta Quest 2 is that it can be all thing to all people – as a wireless , all - in - one VR setup it ’s promiscuous to habituate and operate for relative novices , offering everything you involve right in the box . secure it into a microcomputer , and it essentially becomes a Rift S , meaning if you ’ve engender the requisite office you’re able to play PC VR title like Half - Life Alyx , too .
We ’re also very pleased to say that Meta has wheel out an update that mean you ’ll no longer need a Facebook account to savour everything the Quest 2 has to offer . For those that disagree with Facebook ’s privacy mount , or that do n’t care to be found there , that mean you could sign up with a Meta account instead .
Meta Quest 2 review: Setup and usability
Opening the Meta Quest 2 box , you ’ll be present with the headset , two accountant , the courser , and an glasses spacer to fit the headset over your existing eyewear .
Each controller call for an AA electric battery which slew into a compartment in each grip , while the headset itself charges via a USB - ampere-second battery charger in the boxwood . It is possible to encounter while the headset rush , as long as you ’re not bear to throw your head around .
The first thing you ’ll need to do is download the Meta app on your smartphone , and either access with your Facebook chronicle or make one to get started .
Once you ’re quick , lather the headset on ( the material strap is adjustable , but can be a piddling fiddly to get just right ) and tap the king button on the right side to get commence . mass buttons can be found on the underside of the headset .
The rest of the setup operation is completed through a compounding of the headset and your app , and you ’ll also be able-bodied to ready your “ secure area ” using Meta ’ “ Guardian . ” This will insure you ’re not going to smack into a rampart or trip over the burnt umber table , and you ’ll need to set it whenever you wrench the headset on .
Meta Quest 2 review: Design and display
platform : Standalone , PC via Meta LinkPrice:$399.99/£399.99 for 128 GBResolution:1832 × 1920 per eyeField of view:90 degreesRefresh rate:60 , 72 , 90 Hz ( 120 Hz experimental)Controllers : Touch restrainer ( included )
The Meta Quest 2 is a pretty compact software program , and it ’s also imposingly sturdy . The domain that touches your look is lined with a soft - touch material – but , as you could guess with any VE headset , your comfort will put up after long play session .
The onboard speakers work out well enough , but there ’s the pick for headphones via a 3.5 mm headphone jack next to the charger embrasure which can be ideal for the the likes of of rhythm game like Beat Saber .
Beat Saber.(Image credit: Beat Games)
The front of the twist is fair characterless out of doors of a series of infrared circles that avail with the said Guardian system ( see image below ) , as well as tracking comptroller in all directions .
The controllers bid two case buttons each , as well as a carte du jour button on the left wing and the Meta button on right hand . There are triggers on the back of each comptroller , as well as a clit in the grip of each . They ’re lightweight and thankfully derive with wrist straps to keep them from being fox across the room early Wii style .
When it comes to the display , each lens of the eye has an 1832 x 1920 resolution . That ’s a sizeable startle if you ’re come from the PSVR ( 960 x 1080 ) and is higher than the 1600 x 1440 of the Valve Index . Sadly , there ’s only a 90 - degree playing area of aspect , just shy of the PSVR , but the Meta Quest 2 can hit a 120 Hz refresh charge per unit .
Half Life Alyx(Image credit: Valve)
The Meta Quest 2 ’s display is LCD , but thanks to a vivacious series of menus , it never feels flat or lacking in contrast .
Meta Quest 2 review: Features, games, & apps
The Meta Quest 2 starts warm , with a loose - float menu loom in your view with smart cursor controls , a look at what your friends are doing on the platform , and access to the store .
purchase are easy to make , but we do have some hang - ups . Many games cost more on Meta Quest 2 than they do on more unresolved storefront , like SteamVR , and cross - buy functionality is restrict to some games but not implemented store - wide . As a result , your old Oculus Rift purchases may not show up in your Meta Quest 2 ’s subroutine library , meaning you ’ll have to splosh out again .
Still , the Meta Quest 2 will play original Oculus Quest titles , and turn just as well seated and standing – this may avail assuage some sickness and help some earn their “ VR legs . ” If you ’re looking to discover a way to play the likes of Beat Saber and Superhot VR , you ’ll find it here .
If gambling is n’t your thing , there are also a host of interactive experiences , virtual tours , and scientific recreations to see to it out on the Meta store . similarly , there are mindfulness andVR fittingness appsto assist you look after yourself , body and psyche , so to speak .
The real tycoon of the Meta Quest 2 , though , is that it ’s two headset in one . If you ’ve puzzle a capable play PC ( we tested it with a GTX 2070 Super ) , you ’re able-bodied to join to the headset through the Windows Meta app ( you ’ll require a long USB - degree centigrade cable’s length or you could connect wirelessly ) and play Oculus Rift and Rift S games through the Meta Quest 2 .
The lack of worldwide interbreeding - buy we mentioned sooner can make it confusing to remember which political platform you ’ve purchased things on , but it have in mind you ’ll have access to more demanding VR games like Asgard ’s ire , a fabulous Norse dangerous undertaking .
And that ’s not all , because the Meta Quest 2 will also play nicely with SteamVR . That mean if you ’ve get a few game with VR mode , either in your Steam library or externally , you ’ll be able to enjoy those in VR . We tested the headset with the VR adaptation of Elite Dangerous and the Xbox Game Pass version of Star Wars : Squadrons and had a gust – at least before the VR apparent movement unwellness kicked in . So , yes , that means Half - Life : Alyx is very much an pick .
Meta Quest 2 review: Performance
While the original Oculus Quest was no slouch , the Meta Quest 2 ’s increase random memory ( 6 GB ) and new C.P.U. ( Snapdragon XR2 ) make everything buttery smooth . Playing games , bringing up the Meta menu , and jumping straight into something else is a simple process , and even though there are perceivable load times , they ’re usually brief .
A firmware update has unlock the 120 Hz refresh rate on the Meta Quest 2 as well , make the the likes of of Superhot VR more fluid . However , developer also require to update to the new refresh rate , but bear to see more of them do that as clip goes on .
We ’re also quite impressed by the headset ’s audio . While you ’ll get much more bass from adding your own earbuds , the internal loudspeaker are n’t a hindrance in games that bank on unmortgaged audio . you’re able to also teem your standpoint via a Chromecast .
in conclusion , a Scripture on storage . Meta has phase out the 64 GB rendering , so your options now are 128 GB or 256 GB , with a $ 100 difference between the two . While more computer memory is never a defective affair , if you ’re front to play the legal age of your games from your personal computer , you may find that the 128 GB version will be perfectly okay .
Should you buy the Meta Quest 2?
Whether you ’re a VR novice or a veteran pro , there ’s a set to like about the Meta Quest 2 – particularly at such a low-pitched price point compared to many challenger .
From Greco-Roman game and VR experiences like Beat Saber , to being able to plug into a gaming PC for PC VR titles , it ’s a sensory all - libertine that has everything you need the right way within the box . There is a lot more rival out there these Day , but for now the Meta Quest 2 still reigns supreme .
